Improvement in seeding-machines



. 2 SheetsSheet 1. 1S. & M. PENNOCK.

Grain-Drill.

No. 8,209 Patented Julv 81, 1851.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2',

S, & PENNOCK. Grain-Drill.

Patented July 8, 1851.

PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPIIER, WASHINGTON, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML. PENNOOK AND M. PENNOOK, OF KENNET SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 8,209, dated .Inly 8,1851.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL PENNOGK and MORTON PENNOGK, of KennetSquare, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Seeding-Machines; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full and exact description ofthe construction and operation thereof, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents an elevation of the machine, the de'iositing-tubes being elevated. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection through the same, the depositing-tubes being lowered with theircurved levers. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the ma chinethrough the hopper. Fig. 4: is a rear view, showing the eccentric foractuating the hopper-grates, the curved levers, and leverframe. Fig. 5is a plan of one of the hoppergrates. Fig. 6 is a vertical section ofFig. 5, showing the distributing-cylinder. Fig. 7 is a transversesection of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an end view ot'thecylindricalcap,showinginclined projections. inclined recessed washer, which fitstheinclined projections of the cylindrical cap. Fig. 10'is adistributing-cylinder, showing a modification of the device for holdingthe cylindrical cap when adjusted to any size or form ofseed-receptacle. Fig. 11 is an end view of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of a distributing-cylinder, showinganother modification of the device for holding the cylindrical cap. Fig.13 is an end view of Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a modification of thedistributing-cylinder. Fig. 15 is a vertical section of the same. Fig.16 is a plan of the drag-bar, with its depositingtube, showing itsconnection with the front 'beam of the frame. Fig. 17 is a sideelevation 'of Fig. 16, showing the position of the depositing-tube whenforming the drill and the triform holding-lever. Fig. 18 is a view ofthe opposite side of the depositing-tube and a section of the drag-bar.Fig. 19 is a front view of the detachable double arm of the drag-ban,Where the same letters of reference occur on the several figures theyindicate the same parts.

, This machine in its general construction and arrangement of parts islike our seeding-machine on which a patent was granted on the Fig. 9 isa side and inside view ot'the 12th day of March, 1841, and reissued onthe 30th day of October, 1849.

The improvements which we now desire t have patented consist in theemployment of sliding grates to which the distributing-cylinders areattached, and with which they are made to move back and forth inengaging with and disengaging the same from the propellingshaft.

Our improvement likewise relates to the employment of short axlesprojecting from and forming part of the hubs of the propellingwheels andturning in boxes secured to the side beams of the frame.

Our improvement further relates to placing a helical spring within thedistributing-cylinder for expanding the cylindrical cap-for increasingthe size of the seed-receptacleswhen required.

Our improvement also consists in forming the bottoms of the seedreceptacles or cells of the distributing-cylinders by the employment ofa plain cylindrical ring placed within the same.

Likewise our improvement consists in certain arrangements and devicesfor adjusting and holding the oblique recessed cylindrical cap inconnection with the oblique recesses of the cogged portion of thecylinder.

Our improvement likewise relates to suspending the depositingtubes toprojecting arms of the drag-bar in such a manner that thedepositing-tubes shall be made to turn frontward during the backing ofthe machine to clear obstructions, or for any other purpose, thusdispensing with the necessity of raising the same, and also by which thedepositingtubes may be detached from the drag-bar with facility, whendesired, by simply moving them frontward to nearlya horizontal line withthe drag-bar, and giving them aslight lateral movement, which disengagesthejournal-pius from the drag-bar, and allows the depositing-tubes to beremoved.

Our improvement also. relates to the employment of a triformholding-lever attached to the projecting-arms of each drag-bar in such amanner that its hook-branch shall be made to fit over the wooden pinsecured in the rear portion of the depositing-tube for holding it in itsproper position during the operation of forming the drill and depositingthe seed,

and also for allowing the attendant to disengage said trit'ormholding-lever from the pin when an obstruction is visible, and thusallow the depositing-tube to turn rearward and clear itself of theobstruction, and the pin saved from being broken and the progress of themachine not interrupted, the triform holding-lever being made to assumeits proper position with the pin when the depositing-tube shall havecleared the obstruction.

Our improvement likewise consists in effectin g the frontward movementof the depositingtube when it shall have been relieved from theobstruction by the action of tril'orm lever upon a cam projecting fromthe upper portion of the depositing-tube.

Our improvement consists, finally, in the employment of a doubledetachable arm, in combination with the drag-bar by which it issuspended to the frame, and also by which said double arm may bedetached with facility from the drag-bar and eyesor loops of thetransverse beam of the frame.

The grates A, Figs. 3 and 5, to which the distributing-cylinders B areattached by hanging-arms a a, (secured to the grates by being dovetailedand keyed,) are confined to the bottom of the hopper T by grooved plate0 c, Fig. 3, into which their edges fit, and are permitted to move backand forth when engaging the cog-wheel of the distributing-cylinder withor disengaging it from the propelling-shaft i thus keeping thedistributing-cylinder in the same relative position with the opening Ain the grate, whether in or out of gear.

' O O are the curvedlevers,to the ends of which the triformholding-levers L of the depositing-tubes are attached by the usualchains, 12, for elevating said depositingtubes. These curved levers (lare attached, by means of jointed arms d d, to a horizontal fulcrum-rod,e, secured to the rear transverse timber of the frame by boxes D,(one toeach lever,) and are provided with notchesff at their lower ends, whichcatch overholding-plates g, projecting from the hopper, for sustainingthe depositingtubes when elevated.

The lower end of each jointed arm 61 of the curved levers O is providedwith an eccentric, h, from which projects a connecting-rod, E, whichunites the hopper'grate A with eccentric h, and thus the movement of thegrate of the distributing-cylinder is effected by the eccentricsimultaneously with the elevation or depression of the depositing-tube.

F is the 1ever frame,havingahandle, f and connected to the fulcrum-rode, and provided with a horizontal transvere turning crank-rod, 9 securedin the arms of the lever-frame F in such a manner as to catch againstthe arms d when in the position seen in Fig. 2, and elevate thedepositing-tubes, as seen in Fig. l,

and when said lever-frame is in. the position seen in Fig. 2, thedepositing-tubes may be depressed simultaneously by simply depressingthe short handle 9 Fig. 4, which turns the crank-rod g frontward againstthe ends of the holding-plates g of the hopper; or the depositing-tnbesmay be elevated or depressed separatel y, if required.

The supporting and propelling wheels G are provided with short axles Gprojecting from and forming part of the hubs and turning in boxes H,secured to the under side of the side beams of the frame, and confinedby nuts 'i i or otherwise, one of said short axles G being provided witha pinion, H which matches with one of the pinions i on thepropellingshaft i for communicating motion thereto.

The seed receptacles or cells of the distributing-cylinders shown inFigs. 3, 6, 10, and 12 are the same as those in thedistributing-cylindersof our patentof the 11th of February, 1851. Themanner, however, ofadjnsting and holding the oblique cylindrical cap Iis different and more effectual, and consists in providing its end withthree or more projections, I, having their outward sides, 1 madeinclined or oblique, as shown in Fig. 8, corresponding in obliquity tothe recesses of its periphery, and placing upon the longitudinalscrew-shaft J a washer, K, having the same number of oblique recessesIt, and corresponding in inclination to the projections I of thecylindrical cap I, into which they fit, while the projections k of thewasher K fit the openings 1 between the projections 1 The object of thisis to form the bearing against the cylindrical adjustive cap I, at rightangles to the bearing of the oblique recesses which form theseed-receptacles, so that when the oblique recesses of the cylindricalcap shall have been adjusted in relation to the adjacent recesses of thecogged portion of the cylinder, and the oblique recessed washer Kclamped against the oblique projections I by means of the clamp-nut 1upon the screw-shaft J, the cylindrical cap will be held firm, andeffectually prevented from slipping during the operation of the machine.

The oblique recessed washer K is prevented from turning in the directionof the cylindrical cap, when decreasing the size of theseedreceptacles,when clamping it against said cylindrical cap by meansof a pin, m, Fig. 6, projecting from the screw-shaft J into one of therecesses 70 of said washer K, against which the shoulder or projectionis formed by said recess acts while clamping the cylindrical cap.

Figs. 10 and 11 represent another device for producing the pressure uponthe oblique surfaces of the seed-receptacles of thedistributingcylinder, at right angles thereto, and consists inscalloping the end of the cylindrical cap L and forming therein twosegmental slots, n a, through which pass screw-bolts 0 at right anglesto the oblique recesses or cells, and screw into the cogged portion ofthe cylinder, the

Figs. 12 and 13 represent another device for holding the cylindrical capM of the distrib uting-cylinder, and consists in providing the obliquerecessed cylindrical cap M with a pin, m projecting centerwardtherefrom, near its recessed periphery,into an opening formed in theinner cylinder, 12 which forms the bottoms "of the seed-receptacles, andwhich is made solid except the bore for the screw-shaft M. In the coggedportion of the cylinderis formed asegmental slot, 0 through which theshank of a clamp-sere,w,0 passes into theinner solid cyl-. inder, a andis for the purpose of clamping said inner cylinder to the cogged portionof the distributing-cylinder, and thus, by means of the pin m thecylindrical cap M is prevented from turning in either direction whenadjusted to any required sized receptacle and clamped by the clamp-nut pon the screw-shalt. When it is desired to increase or diminish the sizeof the seed-receptacles the clamp-nutp is turned to the left, and theholding-screw 0 loosened,

and the cylindrical cap turned in either direction with the innercylinder, a and secured by the clamp-nut and holding-screw.

Figs. 14 and 15 represent distributingcylinder withlongitudinal parallelrecesses 00 and projections 01: in such a manner that they shall be madeto fit within each other and form a double row of seed receptacles orcells, which may be increased or diminished in size by means of aclamp-nut, .00 on the screw-shaft m and a helical spring, 00 placedwithin the cylinder and made to bear against said cylindrical cap N, forexpanding or moving the same outward to increase the size of thereceptacles when the clamp-nut is unscrewed. Within the cylindrical capis placed a cylindrical ring, x for tormin g the bottoms of theseed-receptacles.

The depositing-tubes represented in Figs. 17 and 18 are in form andconstruction the same as those described in our patent granted the 10thday of December, 1850, being provided with a reversible point, 0,. theimprovement now claimed consisting in suspending the depositing-tubesUto the armsjj of the drag-bar,

j by means of two journal-pins, q q,projecting from either side of theupper portion thereof in such a manner that the depositing-tubes shallbe made to turn forward upon their jourrial-pins q q during the recedingmovement of the machine.

One of thejournal-pins, q, is provided with a cog, g which is made tofit an opening in the arm j of the drag-bar when the depositingtubeshall be turned frontward to nearly a horizontal line, for the purposeof disengaging the same from the drag-bar, when desired, by impartingtothe depositing-tube a lateral movement, when the cog will pass into theopening in the arm of the drag-bar, and thus disengage its oppositejournal-pin, q, and permit the depositing-tube to be detached therefrom,one of the arms j of the drag-bar being bent outward for that purpose,as seen in Fig. 16.

L is the trifurcated holding-lever attached to the ends of thetwoupward-eurved arms j of the drag-bar by two pins, 6 i projecting froma long and short arm, 1' t"*, of the trit'urcated holding-lever, uponwhich it is permitted to turn when required.

Z is the central hook-shaped branch of the trifurcated lever L,projecting downward and inward between two ears, 1 which projectrearward from the upper portion of the depositing-tube U, and providedwith a series of holes into which a wooden pin, 0 is inserted, the endof said central branch, libeing notched in such a manner and sustainedin such a position as to catch over the wooden pin 0 and hold thedepositing-tube firmlyin the required position during the operation offorming the drill, and at the same time allow the attendant to disengageit therefrom, when he shall discover arock or other obstruction in theway, by simply laying hold of the curved lever O, to which it isattached by the chain 1)., and elevating it sufficiently to disengagethe hook i of the triform lever L from the pin 0 when it will bepermitted to turn rearward and clear itself of the obstruction, and thussave the wooden pin from being broken and render theprogressotthemachineuninterrupted. Should, however, the obstruction benot discovered, it is designed that the wooden pin shall break ratherthan the trifurcated holding-lever or depositing-tube.

The upper portion of one side of the depositing-tube is provided with acam-shaped projection, r, as seen at Fig. 17, against which the long armi of the trifurcated lever L is made to act, when the depositing-tube Ushall have been turned rearward from any cause,'for the purposeofthrowing it frontward in its proper position to allow the hook-branchl of the triform lever to engage itself with the pin, the

holes into which the pin is inserted being on a circle scribed from thejournal-pin q of the depositing-tube, and the downward movement of theholding-lever L being governed by a pin, 1, Fig. 18, projecting from oneof the arms of the drag-bar beneath which the end of the short arm i ofthe holding-lever catches and sustains it in such a position that thenotched end will be on the circle scribed from the center of the pin q,irrespective of the hole into which it is inserted, the relative angleof the depositing-tube with the drag-bar being governed by the positionof the pin in either of the holes aforesaid.

The upward movement of the trifurcated holding-lever is governed by apin, 1' projecting from the arm of the drag-bar, upon which the long orcam arm i strikes on the ascent of the holding-lever, in disengaging itfrom the pin 0 or elevating the depositingtube, and thus prevent it fromturning entirely over, which would cause the upper side of the long armto catch behind the cam or projection 1' of the depositing-tube andprevent the proper action of the same.

The frontward end of each drag-bar is provided with a double arm, 1?,having a vertical oblong opening, P, in its central portion, into whensecured in the eyes or loops R, attached to the front transverse beam ofthe frame, and are provided with shoulders or projections S S on theirunder sides, one of which is made to enter an opening, 5-, in one of theeyes or loops B, when said double arm P is turned half a revolutionupward and frontward, by simply moving the double arm laterally with itsprojection S into the opening 8, and thus disengage the opposite endthereof from the eye or loop R and allow it to be detached therefrom.

It will thus be seen that nearly every section of this seeding-machinemay be detached and put together with the greatest convenience andfacility.

Havingfully described the construction, use, and operation of ourseveral improvements on the seeding-machine, what we claim therein asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The employment of the oblique recessed washer K, in combination withthe cyliudri cal cap I, provided with inclined wings or projections 1which match with the oblique recesses 7c of the washer K in such amanner that the pressure produced thereupon shall securely hold thecylindrical cap in the required position when adjusted to increase ordiminish the size of the seed-receptacles.

2. Scalloping the end ofthe cylindrical cap L of thedistributing-cylinder, and using in connection therewith clam p-screws 00 for bolding the cylindrical cap in therequired position.

3. The employment of the pin m Fig. 12, or its equivalent, when used inconnection with a clamp-screw, 0 and interior cylindrical cap, M whenproperly adjusted to increase or diminish the size of theseed-receptacles.

4. Providing one of the journal-pins, q, of each depositing-tube U withacog, g which is made to fit an openinginthe armj of the dragbarj whenit shall be turnedfrontward, nearly horizontal, for the purpose ofdetaching the depositing-tube from the drag-bar] with facility, asdescribed, and shown in Fig. 18.

5. The employment of the trifurcated holding-lever L, in combinationwith the drag-bar j and suspended depositing-tube U, for the purpose ofholding the depositing-tube in its proper position during the operationof forming the drill and depositing the seed, and by which saidtrifurcated holding-lever L may be disengaged from the pin 0 when anobstruction is visible and allow the depositing-tube to turn rearwardwhen it shall have been struck, and thus save the pin 0 from beingbroken, and this trifurcated holding-lever we claim,or its equivalent.

6. Causing the depositing-tube to assume its proper position after itshall have cleared the obstruction, by the action of the long arm i ofthe trit'urcated holding-lever L upon the cain or projection 1' of thedepositing-tube, and this we claim as in the arrangement hereindescribed and represented.

7. So combining a separate double arm, P, with the frontward end of eachdrag-bar j that it may be detached therefrom as well as from the eyes orloops It of the front transverse beam of the frame, as described in thespecification,-and shown in the drawings at Figs. 16, 17, and 19.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names before twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL PENNOCK. MORTON PENN OCK.

Witnesses:

Jos. W. BARNARD, ISAAC SMITH.

